Off to Siglap to check out The Winery Gourmet Bar as they have recently launched a new free flow brunch. That’s right, brunch buffet! Woohoo! Ever since I had the brunch buffet at the old Don Quijote when they were still at Dempsey Road, I’ve been hoping to see more of such brunch buffets in Singapore, but to no avail. So when I came across a fellow foodie’s post on Xiaohongshu, I was so excited! Immediately made my reservation on Chope.
The restaurant is located on ground level of Springvale Condominium on East Coast Road.
Free flow brunch is only available on Fridays and weekends
Their brunch buffet is available from Fridays to Sundays with two seatings available –
- 12.00pm to 2.00pm
- 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Take your pick between indoor or al fresco dining
We came on a Friday during the second seating. Wasn’t crowded at all. Initially, I requested for indoor seating but changed my mind when there. Took an outside table instead, which was more ideal for photo-taking as there was more daylight. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel warm or uncomfortable to sit outdoor even though it was a pretty hot and humid day. The ceiling fans definitely helped to keep the place cool and breezy.
Cosy private spaces are available for group gatherings
Besides indoor and outdoor seating, there’s also a bar and some cosy-looking private rooms at the back. Usage of these private spaces would require a minimum spend.
Their wine cellar has one of the widest selections of vintage European wines in Singapore
In their wine cellar, you can find a wide selection of wines from around the world including vintage European wines. Currently, there is a 30% off discount on all wines for takeaway. Dine-in wine promotion is also available every Wednesday i.e. 30% off all wine bottles with minimum purchase of 2 bottles.
To all you wine lovers out there, this is a not bad watering hole to check out.
By the way, Thursdays are Gin Tonic nights. Each glass is going at just $10 (U.P. $20) with minimum order of 2 glasses.
Food and drink menus for the free flow brunch
Image source: The Winery Gourmet Bar FB page
14 starters. 5 mains. 2 desserts. Not a super extensive menu but good enough especially if you are also having drinks. We were served by Ahmad who suggested to order 4-5 dishes each time, just so we could pace ourselves and slowly enjoy the food. It’s a good way to minimise wastage too in case we couldn’t finish if we ordered too much.
Image source: The Winery Gourmet Bar FB page
If you’re going for the food + drink option, this is the menu for drinks. Do note they don’t serve regular iced water, only still or sparkling water at $1++ per person (free flow).
Let’s kick off with the starters
Arturo Sanchez Paleta
Front leg ham of acorn-fed Iberico pigs. Can never resist a plate of ham like this. It’s a must order when having Spanish cuisine! This paleta tasted similar to jamon (made from the hind legs). Beautifully cured. Very flavourful. Delicious.
Trio of Cold Dips
Avocado hummus, beetroot tzatziki and baba ghanoush served with crispy, toasted bread slices. When this was served up to our table, the manager recommended that we eat this from one end to the other, starting from the lighter hummus to the more intense baba ghanoush. All three dips were very good. My favourite was the baba ghanoush that was most robust in flavour.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
This was definitely the most refreshing and delicious tomato salad I ever had because heirloom tomatoes are just so sweet and juicy. When combined with lemon vinaigrette, avocado puree, kiwi and apricot, the different flavours simply complemented one another.
Cod Fritters
Couldn’t really tell there were cod meat in these as they tasted just like crab cakes. Crispy on the outside. And not greasy at all. Very nicely fried.
Huevos Estrellados
Eggs, paleta ham and crispy onions served on a hot plate. The manager was going to break the yolks and mix everything up but I stopped him as I wanted to take pictures of the dish. This was a really nice dish too. I mean, who doesn’t like sunny side ups with runny yolks, haha. And those crispy onion chunks were so darn good – they tasted like fried potatoes!
Jamon Bikini
Small toasted sandwiches with Iberico jamon and dashi béchamel. Crispy on the outside and so creamy on the inside. The savouriness of the jamon really stood out too.
Crispy Squid Rings
Perfectly fried to a nice crisp and crunch. The batter was slightly on the thick side. Squid itself was tender and not rubbery at all.
Padron Peppers
OMG, this plate of peppers might look plain and boring but the taste was unforgettable because they were very well seasoned with sea salt flakes. The blistered skin gave the peppers a nice crust. Not spicy at all. In fact, they were mildly sweet and the inside where the seeds were, tasted a little like okra. Must order!
Moving on to the mains
Binchotan Grill Iberico Pork Ribs
Even before I sank my fork and knife into the rib, I could already get a whiff of smokiness from the meat. This was so tender and moist. Basically effortless to cut into the meat or to chew it.
Yakimeshi & Argentinian Prawns
So in love with this fusion dish. Prawns were fresh and tender. Rice was flavoursome. The roe gave a nice pop. The bonito flakes added another layer of umami flavour. Great mixture of flavours and textures. To fully enjoy this, you’d need to have a bit of everything in one mouthful.
Roasted Duroc Pork Belly
Good ratio of fats and meat. So juicy and moist. The skin was also crispy. My only gripe was that the navy beans were quite out of place as they didn’t match the dish in terms of taste. Mash was smooth and nicely seasoned.
It’s time for desserts!
Burnt Basque Cheese Cake
Good size for sharing between 2 persons. Otherwise, would get pretty sickly if we ate too much of this. I liked the addition of the coulis on top as the tartness balanced the richness of the cheese cake.
Torrija
This was Spanish style French toast. I was expecting the toast part to be very bready but was pleasantly surprised when I cut into it as it had a soft, custardy texture. Warm bread with cold ice cream – yum!
Final thoughts
Both my hubby and I agreed unanimously that this was one of the best restaurants for Spanish tapas in Singapore. Service was impeccable. We were well taken care of by Ahmad and his manager. They would come round to introduce the dishes and ask us if we liked the food and so on. Also, they would make sure our glasses were never empty. Very attentive and thoughtful throughout our entire meal.
Food presentation was top-notch. Dishes were of great quality. There wasn’t any dish that we disliked. Price was very reasonable too.
Only issue was that the location was quite out of the way as there is no nearby MRT station so you’ll have to take the bus if you’re coming via public transport. Easiest way will be to take Grab.
By the way, they have another outlet in CHIJMES by the name of The Winery Tapas Bar. However, do note this brunch buffet is only available at The Winery Gourmet Bar in Siglap.
12.00pm to 12.00am Fri-Sat
12.00pm to 10.00pm Sun